In the general
election on Tuesday, Nov. 6, Porter County Auditor and Democrat Vicki
Urbanik will be seeking her second term against a challenge from Republican
Karen Martin.

Martin is currently
in the last year of her second and--under Indiana Code--final term as Porter
County Clerk.

Urbanik, 55, told
the Chesterton Tribune that she counts among her achievements in
office the savings of $1 million in contractual costs and the generation of
nearly $500,000 in new revenue by “assuming more projects in-house despite a
smaller staff size.” In addition, Urbanik said, “We upgraded our financial
systems and implemented the county’s first time-keeping system, achieving
greater accountability and transparency.”

Martin, 63, for her
part cites her experience as Clerk. “As the Clerk, we collect approximately
$20 million and distribute it accordingly. We must balance our accounts and
prepare budgets to reflect multiple areas of compliance. We collect money
for the Sheriff, Prosecutor, Probation, programs, county, and state. We
process multiple checks on a daily basis. With implementation of new
software, we have given the public more access.”

Coroner

Also on Tuesday,
Republican Cyndi Dykes and Democrat Randy Wilkening are vying for the open
seat of Porter County Coroner.

Dykes, 57, is a
histology technician employed at Porter Regional Hospital. Wilkening, 53, is
a Portage firefighter and paramedic. Neither is currently a state-certified
death investigator but both pledge to obtain certification at the earliest
opportunity.

“My job experiences
in the medical field and funeral home have given me unique qualities that I
can bring to the Coroner’s Office,” Dykes told the Tribune.

“I have an
advantage over my opponent because I’ve been one of the first to arrive on
many death scenes, having to determine when and if the Coroner needs to be
called,” Wilkening said.

Clerk

Vying for the open
seat of Porter County Clerk are Republican Jon Miller and Democrat Jessica
Bailey.

Miller is in his
second and--under Indiana Code--final term as Porter County Recorder.

Miller, 61, said
that serving “as County Recorder for two terms has provided me with the
experience to lead and manage a county office. Like the Recorder, the Clerk
maintains some of the county’s most vital information, those being court and
administrative records.”

Bailey, 37, is
director for marketing and community development at the Great Portage
Chamber of Commerce and holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and
Nonprofit Management. “I believe in hands-on leadership and have experience
collaborating with local government,” she said.

Recorder

And vying for the
open seat of Porter County Recorder are Republican Chuck Harris and Democrat
Lily Schaefer.

Harris is in his
second and--under Indiana Code--final term as Porter County Coroner.

Harris, 49, points
to his experience “as an elected office holder for eight years, balancing
budgets in accordance with the County Council, and a sincere desire to
improve the quality of my community.”

Schaefer, 65, has
been a practicing attorney since 1979--as a solo practitioner and as an
associate and partner at Burke, Costanza & Carberry--in which capacities,
she said, “I have had ample experience in personnel and financial aspects of
office management.”